I got curious and googled it and it appears to have been used at least since the 70s but it was maybe restricted more to people involved with sports, especially basketball.

This is how I remember it starting. Basketball players admitting to personal fouls. I absolutely detest the term used to acknoweledge a mistake. It sounds so ignorant to me. What is so hard about saying "my fault" or "my mistake" or just sorry.

I got curious and googled it and it appears to have been used at least since the 70s but it was maybe restricted more to people involved with sports, especially basketball.

This is how I remember it starting. Basketball players admitting to personal fouls. I absolutely detest the term used to acknoweledge a mistake. It sounds so ignorant to me. What is so hard about saying "my fault" or "my mistake" or just sorry.

What is so hard about it? Using alternate phrases adds flavor and nuance to our language. It is limiting language that is "ignorant" not expanding it.

« Last Edit: September 13, 2012, 02:57:41 PM by hobish »

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While I didn't grow up in the inner city, a lot of the kids at my school were transfers and I distinctly remember using "my bad" A LOT in middle school. It was the new phrase about town and everyone and their mother was using it. I can totally see it coming the basketball court. Especially in the city as basketball is super popular around here

That would be about 17 years ago. And I think it usually takes 3-5 years for a popular phrase to move from regional to national usage

I'm not sure if this is regional or universal. But do you use the word 'dear' to mean expensive? I was talking with someone today and she used the word to mean that an item cost a lot. It's a bit old fashioned I guess.

I got curious and googled it and it appears to have been used at least since the 70s but it was maybe restricted more to people involved with sports, especially basketball.

This is how I remember it starting. Basketball players admitting to personal fouls. I absolutely detest the term used to acknoweledge a mistake. It sounds so ignorant to me. What is so hard about saying "my fault" or "my mistake" or just sorry.

What is so hard about it? Using alternate phrases adds flavor and nuance to our language. It is limiting language that is "ignorant" not expanding it.

See, I don't know that I agree with this entirely. I personally like to flavour my speech with all sorts of 'mad' sayings that I've picked up from international friends or my students. Playing with language is one of my personal delights.

However in this *specific* case I am finding that a significant portion of the teenagers that I teach ONLY know "my bad". They would never, ever say "my fault" or another alternative because they just don't know they are available, or if they do they see them as archaic terms used only by teachers. Something about that bothers me. It feels too much like "ungood" I guess.

I'm not sure if this is regional or universal. But do you use the word 'dear' to mean expensive? I was talking with someone today and she used the word to mean that an item cost a lot. It's a bit old fashioned I guess.

I'm not sure if this is regional or universal. But do you use the word 'dear' to mean expensive? I was talking with someone today and she used the word to mean that an item cost a lot. It's a bit old fashioned I guess.

I would consider "dear" to mean a high cost, but not financial cost. Like if some saves someone else's life but looses a leg or an eye or even dies themselves one would say "yes John saved Jane but at a dear personal cost". Or if someone sues an employer for harassment or unpaid wages but then ends up blacklisted from the whole industry "sure she won the suit, but despite the pay out ultimately it cost her dearly."

Growing up in the Boston area I called that four-wheeled thing you push around at the grocery store a carriage. Now it's a cart. Same for those two-wheeled things that people who walk to the store carry their groceries home in. Formerly "two-wheeled carriage," now cart. A friend calls them "blue-haired lady carts," because she associates them with older women.

To me "out of pocket" refers to money. As in, stuff you pay for out of whatever money (cash or plastic) you're carrying as opposed to what is already covered (e.g., for a vacation you pay in advance for your hotel and rental car, but you still have to pay out of pocket for meals, souvenirs, park admissions, etc.). I've never heard it used to mean out of the area or not reachable.

My mom says "mind your own beeswax" as a slangy alternative to "mind your own business." She's Boston-born and raised.

This is a really common phrase in Ireland so I'm not surprised with the Boston connection. Even though I'm pretty sure it's used in the UK as well.

Funny, I grew up hearing that saying, as my grandma and grandpa were originally from Boston and both Irish-American.

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